The present invention relates to eye wear in general. More specifically to sunglasses, safety glasses and clear lens glasses that fit tightly and float in water.
Previously, many types of sunglasses or devices to hold sunglasses have been developed in endeavoring to provide an effective means to prevent loss in the water. Prior art has employed adding a material to the glasses having a specific gravity of less than one when combined with the eyeglasses allowing them to float. In most cases, material has been added to the frame along the brow either permanently or in a removable manner to accommodate these desired characteristics. Others have simply employed devices that attach to conventional glasses, either to the ends of the temples or completely encase the glasses with a floatable material.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,408 is my previous invention to which the improvements are directed. The improvements include the omission of the frame float pads adjacent to the hinges that connect the frame to the temples and an entirely different approach to the attachment of the float pads to the temples is used. Instead of simply attaching the float pads on the temples inside surface, the temples include a pair of openings in which molded float pads, that incorporate a molded reverse image of the temple openings, are forced into conformance due to the resilience of the float pads. The attachment is much like a grommet connection in that the pads exterior rests on the temples outside surface and the pads interior substantiality covers the temples inside surface. Further the temples are configured to include a flat portion with an edge that protrudes above and protectively encompasses the flat portion which includes the resilient floating material. The volume of closed cell pad material is equivalent to, or even in excess of, my previous patent therefore the buoyancy characteristics are either the same or slightly improved.
Kolentsi in U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,303 teaches eyeglasses that float due to the addition of a foam member added into a flange integrally formed into the top transverse frame member. The frame forms the front face of the eyeglasses and is curved rearwardly following the curvature of a wearer""s face. A single transparent or translucent convex lens is secured to the frame by being located in a slot present in the underside of the frame. A flange is formed on the interior side of the frame and a foam cushion/floatation strip is imbedded into the flange for attachment and to prevent natural loss of attaching adhesive on hot days. The buoyancy of the foam member is greater than the weight of the eyewear permitting the glasses to float.
U.S. Patent issued to Pomatti, U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,441 discloses an eyeglass frame arrangement that has a semi-rigid lens retaining support and a semi-flexible bridge and temples. A retaining strap engages the back of the users head and close cell padding surrounds the lenses such that the eyes of the user are protected from the elements. In another embodiment the eye pads are integrated with the lens support and are attached to the temple bows.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,396 issued to Cesarczyk is for eyeglasses and goggles that have a shield member attached to the frame, with the shield having tapered ends. A plastic foam member is configured to fit into a groove in the shield. During use this plastic member is held in place snugly against a wearers face on the brow to prevent perspiration from falling into ones eyes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,807 issued to Boll""e et al. teaches sunglasses having a detachable absorber strip. The sunglasses utilized have a replaceable convex optically clear pane that is curved both horizontally and vertically. An absorber strip, utilizing a sponge material, is removably attached to the frame of the glasses and the glasses include interchangeable temple members for fit and comfort.
U.S. Pat. No. De. 362,011 of Kolentsi discloses the design of floating eyeglasses having the same appearance as the subsequent U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,303 issued to the same inventor at a later date.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 336,098 of Evans is for the ornamental design of an eyeglass holder that is made of a material that floats in water with sufficient buoyancy to permit eyeglasses attached thereunto to also float.
Seaboyer in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 299,034 teaches the ornamental design of sunglasses formed with a single wrap around lens and apparently an adjustable head band with a elongated portion that circumvents the wearers head.
Eye wear of any type used for outdoor activities, particularly sun glasses that are worn in sports that include speed and accelerated movements, obviously become venerable to breakage and loss. This fact is particularly evident in water sports using engine powered equipment such as jet skis and power boats pulling water skiers where a fall easily leads to loosing ones glasses in the water due to the impact when falling. It is therefore a primary object of the invention to have eye protection that allows detection and subsequent recovery when an inevitable loss occurs. The invention utilizes float pads attached through the temples of a pair of wrap around polycarbonate glasses. The location and volume of the closed cell foam sponge pads not only permits the glasses to float but always in the same direction, which is with the lenses down and the temples prominently protruding in a upward position above the water. The glasses are balanced to right themselves when entering the water from any orientation which allows the wearer to look for a obvious pair of temples elevated in an upward direction.
An improvement over the inventors prior art is in order as his previous invention, described in the above section, has been notably popular permitting changes to be incorporated to ameliorate its usefulness, product life and production simplicity. As previously noted, the improvements in the preferred embodiment include the omission of the frame float pads in front of the hinges and replacement of the mass by larger pads on the temples. The second embodiment however incorporates the original frame float pads and becomes somewhat of a super floater. In either case a different approach to the attachment of the float pads to the temples is utilized. The temples now include a pair of openings in which molded float pads, are forced into conformance through the openings using the resilience of the float pads. The pads now incorporate a molded reverse image of the temple openings, and the attachment is like a grommet connection in that the pads exterior rests on the temples outside surface and the pads interior substantiality covers the temples inside surface. It may be clearly seen that no adhesive is necessary in the preferred embodiment which simplifies the installation, eliminates the adhesive that may be susceptible to deterioration and affords an almost permanent closure.
Further the temples are configured to include a flat portion with an edge that protrudes above and protectively encompasses the flat portion which includes the resilient floating material. The volume of closed cell pad material is equivalent to, or even in excess of, my previous invention, according to the embodiment, therefore the buoyancy characteristics are either the same or slightly improved.
An important object of the invention related to the ease of locating the glasses when lost in the water, in that the float pads may be made with a highly visible color which easily distinguished from the hue of the water. Further the temple float pads are interchangeable and may be manually removed by the owner and replaced with either a vivid hue for distinguishing it in the water or a color that matches or is in harmony with the frame and temples according to their use.
Another object of the invention is directed to the protective edge that surrounds the flat portion of the frame. The float pads are enclosed on the edge which safeguards the exposed edges from being pulled away from the flat portion and helps to hold them in place since no adhesive is required in the attachment method.
As with the inventors previous patent another object is that conventionally configured glasses are adversely effected by the wind. A tight fit is achieved with the improved invention as the protective edge is slightly lower than the resilient foam easily permitting the extending foam to conform to the contour of the users head eliminating the loss of the eye wear when wind or speed is encountered. Loss of glasses is particularly a concern when riding a motor vehicle such as a open automobile, boat, motorcycle and the like, when the rider or driver turns his or her head to look to the rear. In this circumstance the wind catches this vulnerable area and blows the glasses from the face. This is apparent by observing someone in this type of situation when the person actually holds the glasses in place with the finger or hand while turning to look to the rear.
Still another object of the invention relating to the location of the float pads, which is only on the temples in the preferred embodiment, or located on both the frame and temples in the second embodiment with either embodiment allowing sufficient space to remain to prevent or at least minimize fogging of the lenses. In glasses that touch both the forehead and cheeks, as in some prior art, a persons evaporating perspiration has a tendency to collect on the lenses fogging them to the extent that vision is impaired, particularly when the glasses are initially brought into use. It has been found that in comparing similar glasses, the float pads greatly ameliorate this phenomena as air is permitted to flow freely and circulate around the lenses, whereas prior art using sponge material on the brow or glasses that are tight fitting on top and bottom completely impede the air flow.
Yet another object of the invention is realized by increasing user comfort when wearing the improved eye glasses by the addition of resilient pads. The pads not only increase wearer comfort due to its pliant nature but also helps keep the glasses from sliding off of ones face. It may be noted that almost all eyeglasses have the tendency to slip down on the nose when the wearer is hot and perspiration is present however since the temples are completely covered with a material that conforms to the contour of the head and is essentially springy it permits a greater degree of permanence. Comfort is realized in not only outdoor usage but when the eyeglasses have clear lenses and are the safety type, as preferred in the invention, particularly the type ANSI.Z87.1 approved by the American National Standard Institute, factory workers find this added resiliency along with the advantages noted above are extremely beneficial to the user. When the glasses are temporarily removed from ones face and placed around the neck or on top of the head they are much easier to be retained for the same reasons.